Harry Kane must prove he can perform on the big stage as he attempts to lead Bayern Munich to Champions League glory this season.
Former Bayern defender Holger Badstuber claims the England captain has gone missing in key matches during his first season in Germany.
Kane surprised many people in England when he opted to leave Tottenham for the Bundesliga on the eve of the new season last summer.
He has scored an incredible 42 goals in 42 games in all competitions, registering a further 13 assists for his team-mates.
Harry Kane has been told he must step up when it counts for Bayern Munich against Real Madrid
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But Bayern have missed out on the Bundesliga title for the first time since 2012, with Bayer Leverkusen running away with the league.
Kane is yet to win any major team silverware in his career and the Champions League is the only chance he has left.
A criticism often levelled at the 30-year-old is that he has failed to perform in the latter stages of tournaments for both England and his former club Tottenham.
Badstuber, who won the Champions League with Bayern in 2013, says there is big expectation on Kane.
He told the Mirror: “Yes, there is pressure but when you think about great strikers, they perform in these matches.
“When you want to win the Champions League like Bayern, you need a player like Kane and in both semi-final matches, they will need his goals.
“That’s why I think he’s very important now and while there’s a lot of pressure on his shoulders, I think he can handle it.”
Badstuber has hailed Kane’s impact since his initial £86million move last August.
However, he claims there have been occasions when Kane has failed to make a telling impact in big matches.
Badstuber added: “I think his impact has been great, especially at the beginning of the season.
“He quickly integrated into the team and also adapted to the German culture and that’s not as easy as it sounds.
“But in the second half of the season, I think especially in the big games against Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, his impact was not as big.”
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Harry Kane is hoping to lead Bayern Munich to Champions League glory
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Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel is set to leave in the summer after a disappointing campaign.
Badstuber is confident the German can bow out on a high, starting with victory over Real.
He said: “The Bundesliga was not very good from Bayern’s perspective. There were a lot of ups and downs with the results but the Champions League is different.
“I think they have a chance to reach the final as it’s also about momentum and now the momentum is there. They can beat Real Madrid.”
Thomas Tuchel will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season
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Tuchel, meanwhile, thinks his team need luck on their side.
He said: “You need luck, momentum, freedom, the whole package to overcome Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
“Right now we have a good mix between anticipation and tension. You can achieve a lot with tactics. The approach is the car, and the players have to drive it.”
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